I'm one of those people who can't be ready in 10 minutes, no way and I'm not even high maintenance. It's my hair that is time consuming. Takes me more than 10 minutes just to dry my hair. My hair is only shoulder length but it is very thick and coarse. I cannot let it air dry b/c of its texture...it just gets really frizzy if I do that. I have to dry it completely, which takes more than 10 minutes, then depending on how straight I'm able to dry it, sometimes I also use a flat iron on it. I don't wear a lot of makeup so that part doesn't take long. I honestly can't imagine being able to shower, dress, do hair and make up in 10 minutes. Showering alone (shaving, washing hair/face/body) takes more than 5 minutes. As far as being a busy mother with no time to shower, yes, I do mean that. However, if I know I'm going somewhere out in public where I'm going to see people, I will drop something in order to shower/be presentable. But there have been times when I've gone to the gym, run an errand on the way home, then come home and spent the day cleaning, doing laundry, prepping dinner for that night, etc and along the way purposely decided NOT to shower (why, if I know I'm cleaning bathrooms,etc all day) yet still run into school to pick my 8 y/o from an after school activity. While I generally *dont* like to run into school looking like that, still in my gym clothes, I'm not going to waste that time showering simply b/c I'm going to see people when I run into school for five minutes. Knowing I can use that 30 minutes to finish another load of laundry, which, with four kids is never-ending, is more important to me than my friends/acquaintances seeing me looking not 100% put together. However, I don't make a habit of doing that. I prefer to look more presentable but sometimes it doesn't necessarily make sense. I run regularly with several women in the mornings after we drop our kids at school. One of the women is one I didn't know before being introduced to her by a friend in common when she showed up to run with us. Our kids were at the same school, but I'd never met her. I only ever saw her for months in the morning for our runs, in running clothes and hair pulled back in a tight ponytail. Much later in the year, at an evening school event, I heard someone yell my name and when I looked over, this beautiful woman was waving at me. It took me a moment to recognize her...she looked so completely different with her hair down and styled, make up and nice clothes on. I couldn't believe it was the same woman! She never looked bad w/o makeup, etc, but the difference when she actually put herself together was amazing. Alas, I'm not one of those women who can completely change her appearance with a bit of makeup!

Thanks, everyone. I rested ALL day yesterday, and staying home from work today. Bad head cold... but I'll never regret the effort I put in to making it a special time. I've received some nice comments that warm my heart. I had planned to make a lemon cake (Ina Garten's Lemon Pound Cake) but my husband became sick in the middle of the week, then I started feeling sick on Friday, so I nixed that idea in case we had to cancel the event at the last minute. So, I went with my original plan to serve lemon sorbet which was a light and refreshing alternative on a warm evening. I loved the cheeses, alone or on the crackers or Almondina cookies (Original flavor). Good Earth iced tea is a perfect dessert tea -- spicy flavors and sweet on its own without any sugar. We sat outside in the patio and enjoyed a nice evening together.

OMG, that's ridiculous! She should be throwing a fit. I used to go in to H & R Block and never paid that much (but that was about 5-6 years ago). Now I do Turbo Tax online...super easy, costed $29 I think, and it saves all your info from one year to the next. I spent less that 15 minutes doing my taxes. $300 is out of control! Especially for simple taxes. I don't even understand how it could be that much!

[As far as tires, yeah, still happens. I think everyone should know HOW to change a tire but not necessarily do it unless they must. We like to go camping where there's no cell service (which is much of the mountains and deserts of the western states and provinces) so tire changing skills are a must. But you better believe I'll be standing on top of my truck trying to get a signal to AAA before I haul out the jack! Recently my elderly inlaws had a tire go on the Carquinez Bridge (North San Francisco Bay). They changed the tire themselves, right there, on the bridge. Yes, there's cell service there. And of course they have AAA. I found that to be an unneeded risk.] These past few days I've been switching the contents of the dining and living rooms. It's a form of exercise, both mental and physical. The living room now has what we shall now call a study table along with the piano and all the brass instrument stuff and the former dining room is now a nice snuggly place to read. (For some 1950s reason, the dining room has a fireplace.) Probably weird but I also have a ping pong table in my kitchen so I think I'll get away with it. Are suburban squirrels considered organic?